Halloween, The Witching Hour is nearly here

[Dolt]

Should it be banned?
My granny can't stand another shock, what with all the bangers and fireworks going off.

[rowanwitch]

Why ban it...just teach the origins...and the old rituals help people get in touch with an old aspect of English culture... it didn't start in the US with ET

[ummmm]

Alton Towers opens late :-)

[murraymints]

puy tour granny to bed with ear plugs and a large brandy...

[atalanta]

It is already against the law.
It's called "demanding money with menaces"

[boxtops]

I hate hallowe'en - I used to like it when I was little when we bobbed for apples and told ghost stories, - but the US-imported Trick or Treat is something I can do without. The Go Away notices will be going up in my downstairs windows very soon.....

[redcrx]

bangers and fireworks are bonfire night.

no need to ban the holiday though, but some people do need to have a bit more sense.

[albaqwerty]

I had my windows egged without even a trick or treat. They can go to heck as far as I'm concerned these days.

[jno]

trick or treat originated in Britain too, boxtops

http://www.learnengli...culture/halloween.htm

[redcrx]

sadly, alba, those that did that just use the banner of halloween to carry out such thuggish behaviour. Banning the holiday (and Im not sure how it would be done anyway) wont stop prats like that.

Kids love it, I shall take my kids only to houses of those i know and who are expecting it, i wouldnt want to force it on anyone. Not that i shall be able to this year as I will be helping at a charity event of ghost hunting.

[albaqwerty]

I used to take my kiddies out on hallowe'en, other mums joined in and there were abot 20 kiddies. However, not all kiddies went to the door, too much to handle.

At the end of the evening, all went into a pot and the kiddie-winks went home to rot their teeth!!! Great evenings :)

[vulcan]

Where I live it's just another excuse for teenagers to get drunk. The upshot is the smaller children who loved dressing up and tricking and treating are now too scared to venture out.

[seadogg]

When the knock comes go out with a camera and say you must have a pic of their fine getup. This flatters 'em so that they don't notice the few bog standard sweets on offer.

[craft1948]

Top tip..........on Halloween stand granny outside with a broomstick and a collecting tin.

[I.Don No]

there's nowt wrong with bobbing apples and the like but this business of kids roaming the streets and knocking at random doors begging for sweets is not on imho. If you like that sort of thing move to the USA.

A big part of my dislike of this practice is that many children are out after dark with not a sign of a grown-up anywhere near.

[didoatwork]

When you answer the door, wear a very scary mask!

[sandyRoe]

Where I live the fireworks have started already and will probably go on into November. Our dog sits shivering with 'nerves'.
Maybe not ban Halloween, but ban fireworks.

[LoftyLottie]

Banned, no. However, I wish we could go back a couple of decades where it simply was overlooked in this country except by a few. Now we have become all Americanised and the shops of full of Halloween stuff. Just another moneymaker.

[LoftyLottie]

But I still believe that fireworks should only be allowed to be sold only to those with a license people and that any displays should be notified at least 2 weeks in advance.

[LoftyLottie]

Fortunately though, we get no fireworks, no trick or treaters and no callers where I live! Noone wants to be roaming around out in our part of the country in the pitch dark in the fields!!

[benji26]

no Halloween should not be banned. its the start of the new year *in some religions and cultures* its a time of year to where people can be who/what they want to be. they dont have to be who they really are. Halloween is really the only holiday that is actually able to give people this FREEDOM. i feel that the 4th of July should be banned WAY before Halloween. because they shot off millions of more fireworks and other stuff than they do on Halloween. also in some cultures Halloween is meant to show respect to the dead so that is another reason that Halloween should go on living.